Frontier Advisors revamps business model

The trend towards super funds 'in-sourcing' their investment function has forced Frontier Advisors to make its investment tools, research and intellectual property available to clients.

Frontier has launched its ‘Partners Platform’ which the consultant says will give institutional investors access to its proprietary information, analytical tools and research databases.

Investors and subscribers can choose which tools and research they wish to use.

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The consulting firm plans to expand the platform in the future, “specifically [focusing] on providing technology for clients to run their own investment functions”.

Frontier also pointed to the “recent increase in internal capability across the investment industry, especially within the larger superannuation fund investors”.

The trend among super funds such as AustralianSuper to ‘in-house’ their investment functions, coupled with stronger regulatory demands, has “changed the landscape for consultants and the type of advice and services investors now seek from them”, Frontier said.

Frontier chair Gabriel Szondy said the institutional investment environment has “evolved rapidly” in recent years – particularly when it comes to superannuation.

“Investment advisory firms have needed to re-shape their businesses to face the changing requirements of their clients,” Mr Szondy said.

“That requires more than a tweak or a refinement of existing programs, but rather a fundamental shift in the way advisers and investors interact,” he said.

Mr Szondy added that Frontier funds its own operations purely from advisory revenue in its capacity as an “independent and specialist investment adviser”.

“The [Frontier] board has approved management’s proposals to invest significantly in the development of the Partners Platform, and did so with great confidence in the underlying strategic thinking and deep understanding of the superannuation market within the firm, and amongst Frontier directors,” Mr Szondy said.